SEVERAL YEARS PASSED
Time is forever infinite. It's the greatest thing one could have, yet a curse that one can't escape.
Li Hao stood under the willow tree. As a leaf fell into his palm, he looked at it drifting through the air.
He exhaled slowly as he felt the fresh breeze pass by.
[Name: Li Hao]
[Title: None]
[Age: 5]
[Realm: First Turn Perfection]
[Art: Nine Revelations of Immortality, Celestial Phenomenon Concealment Art]
[Mythical Power: None]
[Technique: Inliten Sword Art]
[Heavenly Treasure: Taiche Sword]
"Mm, it seems that over the years, I've gotten quite some good stuff."
[Name: Inliten Sword Art]
[Grade: Profound]
[Realm: Mid Human]
[Description: Pure swordsmanship, sword art of perfection. Sword art created by a Second Turn Perfection.]
Li Hao gazed at the sword. He remembered what he had seen when he got this technique.
LI HAO'S MEMORIES
Under the blue sky, a vast mountain peak full of jade-green trees stretched for miles to come. One could hear the flowing stream that calmed the heart and evoked a tranquil atmosphere.
A man, looking to be in his mid-forties, with long black hair reaching his shoulders and green eyes, wore green garments with bamboo patterns. His aura was calm and tranquil, yet his presence invoked awe.
He stood under the jade trees, holding a Taiche Sword with the symbol of a yin-yang on the hand guard.
The sword pointed upward as he slid his hand along the middle of the blade. Twisting his body, he swung the sword forward.
Sword intent covered the blade's edge as it cut through the trees in front of him.
He jumped up and slashed horizontally. The sword cut through the trees both behind and in front of him.
Twisting his wrist, he said, "Inliten Sword Art, Art of Formless Slash," as his sword cut through tree after tree.
As the man finished his blade dance, he sheathed his sword, turned around, and walked out of the canopy.
Li Hao remembered this moment—because that figure was hard to forget. He practiced the sword in that exact way because every time he thought he made a mistake, he would reference that figure's technique.
As for the second thing he got—it was the Taiche Sword. Both the sword and the technique were created by the same person.
[Name: Taiche Sword]
[Quality: Legendary]
[Grade: Mid Human]
[Description: Revolving Yin and Revolving Yang, sword created by Heaven's master blacksmith.]
Li Hao's mind chimed once again as he fell into his subconscious. His memories revolved as the sword's creation appeared.
BLACKSMITH WORKSHOP
The sound of hammered iron echoed, and the hot air filled the room.
A blacksmith in short blue pants, not wearing a shirt but clad in a blacksmith apron with tools, worked tirelessly.
He had a strong build, white hair reaching his shoulders, and blue eyes, with a neat beard. He smelled of hot iron fresh from the fire.
He held a big black hammer as he struck cold steel on the anvil. The sound of iron against iron shattered the brisk atmosphere.
On the anvil was a gray sword, its cutting edge white. The hand guard had the curves of two fish—one black and one white—rotating around each other.
Li Hao looked at the blade. This was the Taiche Sword, a legendary weapon that would only be created several thousand years later.
Li Hao opened his eyes. His current age was five, and due to the Nine Revelations of Immortality, his combat power was 1.3 times stronger than that of his realm.
If he were to meet a First Turn Perfection in a full-on fight right now, he might kill them with just one sword strike.
Just then, a familiar dinging sound reached Li Hao's ears. He looked up as he saw the system panel appear.
[Ding]
[You have taken another step in your life, reaching 5 years of age.]
Reward: Cosmic Void Dao Eyes (Mythical Power)
[Name: Cosmic Void Dao Eyes]
[Grade: Mythical]
[Quality: Mythical]
[Description: Dao Eyes of the Cosmic Void. Can see through the essence of space and time and increase the comprehension of space-time. Created by the Dao.]
As Li Hao read the message, his blue eyes converged.
An extremely terrifying pain struck as he felt blood rush toward his eyes.
The immense pain left his strong and unyielding will completely useless.
His body collapsed to its knees, the pain as if ten million needles had been stabbed into his eyes.
Inside his eyes, the structure changed—it was mutating into the perfect form to hold the Cosmic Void Dao Eyes.
Li Hao's breathing grew heavy, as though he could no longer breathe. But suddenly, the pain stopped.
He opened his eyes and looked down. The once green grass was now overlaid with the curvature of space.
It was as if space nodes were scattered all around him.
These nodes passed through his body and were unaffected by movement.
He could feel the slight fluctuations in space—the temporal shifts embedded within it.
"Oh my god! Are you okay, little one?" Just then, Li Hao's mother called out.
She had come to call him for breakfast when she saw him on his knees. She quickly ran over.
"My child, how are you doing?" she asked in a panic.
"I'm fine," Li Hao responded nonchalantly.
Even though it sounded cold, his mother felt warmth.
It was better than the first time, when he'd waited several seconds before replying.
"Okay, I'll take you inside so you can rest," she said, lifting him up and walking back to the house.
Li Hao expressed no emotion of care—but he hugged her slightly.
Even though she felt no joy, no hate, no empathy—that one small gesture made her heart beat.
It gave meaning to her son's life.
This was her happiness.